Tocco Caudio
Welcome to Tocco Caudio!
Hi everyone! Today, I'll talk to you about Tocco Caudio, an Italian municipality in the province of Benevento. We are in the heart of Campania, between the eastern slopes of the Taburno Camposauro. Tocco Caudio is a place with ancient origins, which had a great importance in the Middle Ages. Today it has about 1,418 inhabitants and is characterized by its natural beauty and the fortified village of Tocco Vecchio.
Physical Geography
Territory
The territory of Tocco Caudio extends around a small valley that opens between the eastern slopes of the Taburno Camposauro massif. In our municipality, there is the Valle Vitulanese, also divided into eastern and northern slopes. These valleys have been an important source of food and resources since ancient times. Part of the municipal territory dates back to the Taburno massif, the western extremity being the highest area of the municipal territory, where we find the two highest peaks: Colle dei Paperi and Tuoro alto. The mountain landscape also hosts two plateaus of tectonic-karstic origin: the Campo Cepino and the Piano Melaino.
Fortified Village of Tocco Vecchio
In the center of this narrow valley stands the fortified village of Tocco Vecchio, a real "ghost" perched on a isolated and elongated tuff ridge with very steep walls. It is a pyroclastic deposit originated from a fissural type eruption due to the collapse of the caldera of the Campi Flegrei volcanic district 39,000 years ago. The pyroclastic flows thus originated flowed along the surface, reaching it as well as other vast inland areas. Tocco Vecchio was a city of great importance in the Middle Ages, it was the seat of a Longobard gastaldati and of a diocese of Tocco. Unfortunately, a series of earthquakes marked its decline and after the Irpinia earthquake of 1980, the historic center was completely abandoned in favor of the new settlement in contrada Friuni.
Cauto and Reviola Streams
From the mountain slopes of Tocco Caudio originate the two streams Cauto and Reviola, which run along the base of the tuff ridge to the west and east, respectively, and then meet to form the Jenga stream. These streams were a precious resource for the area, used for irrigating fields and crops.
Tocco Stone
Outside the basin of the small valley, to the east, we find another natural treasure of Tocco Caudio: the Tocco Stone. This is a block of lithified rock brought in place by large submarine landslides, and is therefore now encased in flyschoid soils. The Tocco Stone dominates the Valle Vitulanese and at its summit are the remains of an Angevin fortress serving as a watchtower, while at the base there are mysterious tunnels, caves, and the remains of an ancient church dedicated to the Longobard-imported cult of St. Michael the Archangel.
Conclusions
Tocco Caudio is a unique place, rich in history and natural beauty. Our municipality offers an enchanting landscape, which includes a fortified village, streams and a mysterious stone. We are sure that if you have the chance, you won't regret coming to visit us. We will welcome you with our smiles and will be happy to show you all the wonders of Tocco Caudio.
